COLOMBIA, HULIA DECAF

Producer: Various smallholder farmers

Region: Huila

Process: Washed, Sugar Cane E.A. Decaffeination 

Roast: Medium

Variety: Castillo, Colombia, Caturra

Altitude(MASL): 1200-2100 masl

Notes: Dark Chocolate, Caramel, Toffee

 Let's be honest, decaf has a bad reputation. But we don’t think it should - especially if it tastes this good and you can enjoy it all day long. 

This decaf coffee from the Huila region of Colombia uses a delicious process using a natural by-product of sugar cane and water, commonly called Sugar Cane E.A. or Natural Decaffeination. This method is often used in Colombia because sugar cane is very abundant and readily available - plus the green coffee is able to avoid high heat and pressure which can often degrade the quality of decaf coffee. The result is a delicious caffeine-free coffee that is juicy and bright with an enhanced sweetness. We taste notes of dark chocolate and smooth caramel with hints of graham cracker and sweet citrus. 

To start this natural decaffeination process, a molasses is made from the sugar cane, rested to ferment, then once it’s ready a vinegar is added which produces ethyl acetate. Next, the green bean is steamed for 30 minutes which expands the pores of the green coffee. The ethyl acetate (aka E.A.) is used as a solvent, which is a by-product of fermented sugar and occurs naturally in many fruits such as bananas. Green coffee beans are placed into tanks with the solvent of ethyl acetate and water which is then able to bond with the caffeine molecules in the coffee and this slowly dissolves the caffeine from the beans with each rinse. The coffee is repeatedly soaked and rinsed for about 8 hours until caffeine is no longer detected. It’s then removed from the solvent then steamed once again at low pressure to remove any last traces of the E.A. compounds. Now decaffeinated, the coffee is laid out to dry, cleaned and polished, and then finally packaged up for export. This unique process allows the coffee to maintain its flavor integrity and aroma and still express the terroir of Huila, even for a decaf coffee.

Brew Method: Espresso, Filter, French Press

Please allow 2 business days for your coffee order to be roasted and shipped.